Wire feeding and measuring device.



No. 805,061. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

v D. 'H. HAYES.

WIRE FEEDING AND MEASURING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED mums. 1905.

witnesses:

PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS H. HAYES, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

-W|RE FEEDING AND MEASURING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed February 16, 1905. Serial No. 245.840.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS H. HAYEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding and Measuring Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a wire feeding and measuring device more expressly designed for feeding the warp-wires into a wirefabric machine and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts herein after fully set forth, and pointed out particu larly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for feeding the warp-wires into a wire-fence loom or similar machine in such manner as to measure each of said wires, so as to maintain all of them at a uniform length and at the same time insure an even tension thereon, obviating the placing of too much stress on some of the wires and too little stress on others, which results in a fabric that will sag in places, rendering it difiic'ult to properly stretch and support.

The above object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the measuring and clamping wheels involving my invention, showin the end of the shaft upon which said wheels are mounted. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, as on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing a plurality of measuring wheels. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the springloops employed to actuate the clamping-jaws mounted upon the spokes of the measuring wheels. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing the manner of mounting the spring-loops and maintaining them properly in place. Fig. 5 is a plan View of one of the wedge-b1ocks which actuate the jaws of the measuring-wheels to cause them to automatically release and engage the warp-wires.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates a shaft suitably journaled, upon which are mounted in juxtaposition a number of measuring-wheels 2, having the flat radial spokes 3. Mounted on the face of each of the spokes of the wheels is a set of clamping-jaws 4, which are hinged together by the pivotal bolts 5 and which embrace the periphery of said wheels, said periphery be ing reduced at the-point where embraced by said jaws, as shown at 6, to allow the jaws to come together beyond the periphery. Upon the extreme outer ends of the jaws 4, which project some distance beyond the periphery of the wheel, are the antifriction-rollers 7.

Secured between the inner ends of each set of jaws is a looped spring 8, held by a bolt 9, which passes through the loop of said spring and also through a cap-plate 10, which embraces said loop and retains it in place, said bolt entering the spoke 3 of the wheel, in which it is secured by the nut 11. The free ends of the spring 8 lie between the inner ends of the jaws 4 and exert an outward pressure thereon which normally forces the outer ends of the jaws together. onto the lower arc of the wheel, passes once around it, and pays off the lower are on the opposite side, whence it is carried to the point of use.

The tension of the springs 8 normally holds the working faces 13 of the jaws together upon the strand of wire, causing said jaws to forcibly grip the wire and prevent it from slipping around the circumference of the wheel. To provide for separating the jaws at the point where the wire enters upon and leaves the wheel, there is employed a block 14, which stands below each of the wheels 2 and which is curved concentric with the arc of said wheels, said block being tapered at both ends and standing in the path of the antifriction-rollers 7 on the extreme ends of the clamping-jaws, whereby as the wheel rotates said. rollers engage the opposite sides of the tapered block 14 and are separated thereby to open the jaws, so as to prermit the wire to freely enter upon and pass om the wheel, said jaws coming together upon the wire as the antifriction-rollers 7 pass from the rear end of the tapered block as the wheel revolves. By this arrangement three of the sets of clamping-jaws are at all times in engagement with the wire-strand upon the periphery of the wheel and each set of jaws is in succession opened to permit the strand which is feeding onto the wheel to enter between them and the strand that is paying off to pass therefrom.

There are as many of the wheels employed as there are longitudinal strands in the fenc- The wire 12 feeds IIO ing or fabric, and said wheels are made in two parts, as shown, to enable them to be readily placed upon and clamped to the shaft 1, whereby their number may be increased or decreased, as required, and whereby they may be shifted upon the shaft to enable them to be placed at any desired point. By this arrangement the longitudinal wires which are fed into a fence or fabric machine are measured and held to an exact length, preventing the possibility of one of said strands being longer than the others and obviating any sagging or unevenness in the completed fencing or fabric.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wire tension and measuring device, comprising a wheel around which a strand of wire is adapted to pass, clamping-jaws mounted upon said wheel adapted to engage the wire, means located independently of the wheel but in the plane thereof for opening said jaws at a predetermined point in the revolution of the wheel to release said wire.

2. In a Wire tension and measuring device,

the combination of a rotary wheel around which a strand of wire is adapted to pass, a plurality of sets of jaws upon said wheel adapted to normally clamp the wire, means located independently of the wheel but concentric therewith, adapted to engage a projection on said jaws to open them at a predetermined point in the revolution of the wheel.

3. A wire clamping and measuring device, consisting of a rotary wheel around which a wire is adapted to pass, spring-actuated clamping-j aws, mounted upon said wheel and having ends which extend beyond the periphery thereof, said jaws being adapted to normally clamp the wire as it lies upon the periphery of the wheel, a tapered block located adjacent the'periphery of the wheel and adapted to enter between the extended ends of said jaws and separate them as the wheel revolves and release them from engagement with said wire.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

DENNIS H. HAYES.

Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, I. G. HOWLETT. 

